The Portland daily press., 1887-10-04

candidate they had no distinct candidate.
Where did their vote go? In 1882 Mr.. Libby
had in Ward 3 423 votes, and Mr.. Deering
297; in 1888 Mr.. Libby had 4O7 and Mr.. Deer
ing 344. A partof the Prohibition vote of the
year before went to Mr. Deering and a part
OF 1t staid at home. Mr.. Libby got none of
1t. In Wards 5, 6 and Z occurred the same
phenomenon. The Third Party either voted
for Mr.. Deering or staid at home. In other
words 1t helped the rumsellers to defeat
Mr. Libby and to elect Mr.. Deering. We do
not care to asperse the motives of these men.
Perhaps they were only foolish. but we sub
init that men so foolish as they are altogeth-
er too foolish to be entrusted with great
reform movement.
But this is by no means the only foolish
ness the Third Party Prohititionsts of
Maine have been guilty of
A year ago was witnessed the edifying
spectacle of the Third Party of the Second
Maine district hitched up with a so-ealled
labor party to defeat Congressman Dingley,
who has done more for the cause of prohi-
bition than all the Third Party leaders
combined, ana elect Col. W. T.. Eustis,
whose services to the cause have been so in
significant that nobody has ever heard of
them.
1t is no doubt true that rumselers some
times vote the Republican ticket, not because
they are Republicans, however, or because
they have any sympathy with the principles
of that party. Voting is purely matter of
business with the rumseller. He always
means to vote for the man who is going to
be elected; and il that man were Third
Party Prohibitionist he would vote for him.
still. His idea is to put the successful can
didate under some obligation, in the hope that
he may ind him weak enough to repay it with
some favors in the shape of ''letting up ON
his illegal business. Now the best way Of
preventing any favors Of this sort is to sur
round the candidate with strong temperance
sentiment and give him cordial support In
the enforcement of the law. But
this is not the method the Third Party
Prohibitionist adopts, especially If the.
candidate or official is a Republican, On;
the contrary the typical Third Party leader
generally begins to irritate him, accuses him
of being in league with the rumsellers, Of
having made a trade with them. His per-
formance IL such as to give rise to the sus-
picion that the thing he least wants is a.
thorough enforcement of the law for fear.
that 1t may remove all reason for the exist
ence Of the Third Party and interfere with
the work OF smashing" the Republicans.
Ii half the energy which the Third Party
Prohibiticnists spend in shying bricks at the
officials were spent inassisting them in the
execution of the law there would be less
remissness on the part of the officers to com
plain Of.
Mr. Libby's method to remedy the present
laxity of enforcement of the prohibitory law
which is noticeable in some places by building
up party devoted solely to prohibition may
be good theoretically but it doesn't seem to
be practical. The party refuses to grow, or
grows so slowly as to give little hope of its
ever being big enough to accomplish any
thing. Our idea is that the Republican party
can be made solid prohibition party in much
less time than It will require to smash it
and build another on its ruins, especially
If the foolishness that characterizes the
Third Party now continues.